Refrigerating apparatus



. Aug. 26, 1941. J. Y. LEVINE y 2,253,907

' REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Deo.. 15, 195e;v

Patented Aug. 26, 1941 `UNITED STATES PATEN T orrlcla:L

REFRIGERATTNG APPARATUS Julius Y. Levine, Hartford, Conn.

Application December 15, 1936, Serial No. 115,931

' I3 enclosed in each of these sections has a series 9 Claims.

. My invention relates to that class of apparatus which is employed among other uses for refrigerating purposes and an object o'f my invention, among others, is to provide an apparatus of simple construction and which may be efliciently operated to produce the desired results; and a further object of the invention is to provide means for conserving the heat employed in operation, such heat being repeatedly made use ofv inthe operation of the apparatus.

One form of an apparatus embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, aswell as others, may

be attained is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing'ln which Figure 1 is a side view of an apparatus embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a view on enlarged scale in partial vertical central section illustrating the interior of the absorbent heater.

Figure 3 is a view in cross section cna plane denoted by the dotted line 3-3 of Fig'. 2.

My invention may be employed for many different purposes, among which I mention refrigeration, and when so employed it is particularly useful in' connection With that class of refrigerating apparatus in which refrigeration is obtained by the phenomena of expansion of a gaseous element from a liquid state to its original condition, my invention in such case relating particularly to the means for transforming the gaseous element into a liquid condition, such apparatus being illustrated in the accomunderstood by those skilled in the art. A return tube IIl'extends from the refrigerator to a return inlet I I in the bottom portion of the heater 6.

As has'been intimated the refrigerating apparatus herein described-is of old and well known construction, my invention residing in the apparatus for treating the gaseous, element.

This apparatus'embodies the heater 6 which is formed of sections I 2of any suitable and desired of tubes I4 extending completely through it, such tubes extending from an inlet chamber I5 at the bottom of the heater to an outlet'chamber I6 at the top of the heater. The openings for the tubes I4 from each of the chambersA I3 to the adjoining chamber are sealed to prevent the passage of fluid at such points from one chamber to another. A non-return valve I'I is located in each of the openings from one chamber to an adjoining chamber, each of these openings being preferably located at the axial center of the adsorbent heater, andA gas tubes I8 extend through each of the chambers I3, said tubes being of a diameter somewhat greater than that of the openings closed by the valves I'I.. Each of these tubes has a series of 'openings I9 through its side wallsand a screen` 20 encircles each of said gas tubes to cover the openings I8. A heater chamber 2| is located inthe bottom section 2 2 of the adsorbent heater, this chamber containing a liquid heater 23 which may be of any desired type, an electrical device being shown Ii. A check valve 25is located in the outlet 1 to prevent back ow of fluid into the heater 6 lpanying drawing in Which-the numeral 6 denotes and another check valve'26 is located in the inlet I I to prevent back flow from said adsorbent heater. An adsorbent material for gas is placed within each ofthe chambers I3 in the shell comprising said chambers. 'Ihis material may be of any suitable character that will adsorb the gas used in the refrigerating process. There are diierent materials which will answer this requirement and which are known to those skilled in the art. Charcoal 21 is-employed for the purpose of illustration herein.

A circulating tube 28 is connected to the top. section 24 of the shell of the heater 6 and this tube extends downwardly to a point below the bottom of the bottom. section 22 of said shell and then upwardly and is connected in to the bottom of said section. This tube may be` arranged in any satisfactory manner, as illustrated herein several horizontal sections 29 being emnumber, five being shown herein. The chamber ployed, although they are not absolutely essential. It is-desirable, however. that the tube at or near the top shall have a. part more or less horizontallydisposed for a purpose to be hereinafter mentioned. i A n 'I'he heating apparatus is partially iilled with liquid, as water, when fully equipped for use,y this partially lled condition is conveniently obtained by applying heat for a short interval to the water in the lled tubes by the heater 23 and at the same time drawing .oir a portion as by opening -a faucet 30 and to such extent as to eect creation of a space at the top of the tube 28 which appears after the faucet is closed, this space being preferably at least the length of one of the top horizontal portions shown in the drawings herein. The refrigerating system including the tubes 8 and i0 and the refrigerator l is filled with any desirable gas suitable for retrigerating purposes, sulphur dioxide being mentioned herein as one of such gases. 'I'his gas is adsorbed by the charcoal or other material 21 such gas being in a normal state. The heater 23 is now started and the liquid in the chamber I and within the lower ends of the tubes Il is quickly heated, transforming it into a vapor, as steam. 'I'he tubes I4 are of such size that this vapor cannot seep through the liquid within them, consequently the liquid as a body is forced upwardly within the tubes as the pressure increases in the chamber I5 and the lower ends of the tubes iilling the space at the top and creating a solid column of liquid from and including the sections 29 at the top along the pipe 28 up to the-section 22 of the heater. The heating of the liquid is rapid enough to cause a body thereof preferably equal to the amount contained in the bottom section of the 'I'his vaporized iluid is of an amount about equal to that required to 'fill the empty space at the top of the tube 28. The heat now being shut oil, the

2,253,907 i usually being 'a iinal step of manufacture. This used over and over. The charcoal is ilrst heated by the upwardly advancing bubble thereby driving on the gas from the charcoal. Heating of the liquid having been temporarily stopped by shutting oil the burner, hereinbefore described, a body of colder liquid follows `the bubble upwardly adjacent thereto and this colder liquid cools the charcoal, absorbing heat therefrom and condi' adjoining the lower part of the bubble is thereby body of vaporized vliquid intact will move upwardly in the form of what ,may be termed a bubble through the several tubes in the chambers in the several sections of the heater shell, and' asthis heated body or bubble moves upwardly the charcoal in the chambers in the several sections is correspondingly gradually heated in an upward direction. The body or bubble of vaporized liquid remains intact and substantially at the same level in all oi the tubes as it moves upwardly, the space atthe top of the tube 28 permitting this upward movement. The space occupied by the vapor in the several tubes is considered as comprising the whole bubble. When a sunl'cient quantity of liquid has been heated, and the heat is shuil off, as'just described, the body of vaporized liquid in its heated condition continues to move upwardly, as described, and the liquid within the upwardly extending part of the bottom of the tube 28 ilows upwardly and enters the .chamber i5 to displace that passing from said chamber.

As the body of heated fluid moves upwardly within the heater the charcoal in the successive chambers is heated, thereby causing a separation ofthe gas from the charcoal, such gas being subsequently gradually transformed to a liquid state beforeit enters the refrigerator l wherein it expands and again 'assumes dits natural gaseous state, creating a refrigerating condition in a` partially transformed to vapor to replace that condensed at the tap of the bubble. While some of the heat is dissipated in this action the amount lost is negligible and the bubble travels upwardly losing heat at the top and regaining it at the bottom until the chamber I6 is reached.

It will be noted that there is a continuous passage v'for the heating medium which is caused to circulate through the heating system at each heating operation. 'Ihe tubes for conveying the heating medium through .the chambers in the shell are so distributed through such chambers that the heat is evenly transferred to the charcoal throughout each of the chambers.

In fact it is not absolutely essential that the gas adsorbed by 4the charcoal and then driven oil shall be employed for refrigeration purposes` as I contemplate that it may be used for various other purposes, or no use made of it at all. The apparatus may be employed as a means for collecting and removing gases from places where such gases are not wanted, as from copper and other mines, and such collected gases may be disposed of by heating the adsorbent, as hereinbefore described, and permitting the gas to escape, or such gases maybe collected and thereby constitute a lay-product tovbe disposed ot as may be desired.

Any suitable means may be employed for controlling the periods of heating, such means being in the form of thermostats of various types or pressure operated devices. As a suitable means for controlling such periods of heating I have illustrated a time switch 3l which may begof any suitable construction and connected with the heating device for operation thereof.'

-From what has been said it will be apparent I that my apparatus is not conilned to use for refrigeration purposes, but that the invention contemplates wider uses wherein gases may be manipulated for various purposes.

In order to keep the charcoal from theoutiet 1 and inlet il a screen is placedl over said openings.

I claim:

1. A gas manipulating apparatus comprising a shell including a chamber, a gas adsorbent therein, a `series of liquid conducting tubes extending through said chamber and in heat exchange relation with the adsorbent therein, means for connecting the opposite ends of said tubes to provide a closed circulating system, means for separately heating the liquid within said tubes, means within said chamber for preventing backilow of said gas therein,` and means for disposing of the gas driven o3 by the heated liquid.

2. A gas manipulating apparatus comprising a shell including a chamber, a gas adsorbent therein, a series of liquid conducting tubes extending through said chamber and in heat exchange relation with the adsorbent therein, means for conliquid. Y

5. A gas manipulating apparatus 'comprising a; shell having a number orsuperimposed chambers' tubes extending through said gas adsorbent nesting the ,opposite ends oi said tubes to provide a closed circulating system, means for separately heating the liquid within said tubes;v a tube exvtending through said chamber to receive said gas and conduct it away from said adsorbent, means for preventing backilow of said gas in said tube,

and means for disposing of the gas driven of! by the heated liquid.

3. A gas manipulating apparatus comprising a shell including a chamber, a gas adsorbent therein, an inlet chamber for liquid to be heated therechamber from said inlet to said outlet chamber and in contact with said adsorbent therein, a

circulating tube extending from said outlet to saidy inlet chamber tocomplete a circulating system and having a substantially horizontal portion in which a space may be initially created bein in the bottom and an outlet chamber for said liquid in. a cooled condition in the top of said shell, a series of liquid conducting tubes extend. ing from saidv inlet to said outlet chamber through said gas adsorbent chamber and in heat exchangerelation with the adsorbent therein, means for connecting the .opposite ends of said tubes to provide a closed circulating system, `means for separately heating the liquid vwithin said tubes, means within said .gas chamber for preventing back ilow oi.' gas therein, and means for disposing of theggas driven oil? by the heated liquid. 4. A gas manipulating apparatus comprising a shell including a chamber, a gas adsorbent therein.' a series o'i' .liquid conducting tubes extending through said chamber and in heat exchange rela'- tion with the adsorbent therein, said tubes being restricted infsize in diameter to cause the vapor formed yin said tubes to lift portions of the liquid before it as it rises through thel tubes, i

means for connecting the opposite ends of said tubes to provide a closed circulating system,`

means iorseparately heating the liquid within l said tubes. means 'within said chamber for pretween two bodies ot liquid in said system to allow expansion of one of vsaid bodies when the apparatus is started, means for heating such liquid to drive on the gas from said adsorbent, and means for disposing o! the gas driven oi! by the heated liquid'. 'n

. '1. A gas manipulating apparatus comprising a shell including a chamber. a gas adsorbent therein, a series of liquid conducting tubes extending' through said chamber in contact with said ad- ,v sorbent, means for connecting the opposite ends venting yback iiow of gas therein, and means for disposing of the therein each containing a gas adsorbent. a series of liquid conducting tubes extending through said chambei's and in heat'exchange relation with the adsorbent therein, means ior connecting the opposite ends of said tubes to provide a closed cirv culating system, means lfor` heating such liquid to remove-the gas from Asaid adsorbent, a tube A in communication-with a number ci said chamheated liquid. Y 4 6. A-gas manipulating apparatus comprising a shellincluding a chamber. a gas adsorbent there- ,im an inlet vchamber in the bottom and an outlet'chamberin the top oi said sheILcQnducting gas driven on by the heated'- of said tubes to provide a closed circulating system, means for separately heating a portion of such liquid which heated portion constitutes a body employed to drive oi! the gas from 'said adsorbent, means within said chamber for preventi118 back iiow of gas therein," means for controlling periods of time for heating-said liquid, and

means for disposing of thegas-driven oi! by the 'heated liquid.

-8. A gas manipulating apparatus comprising a n sneu having :niet and ouuet chambers at opposite ends, said shell including an intermediate chamber, a gas' adsorbent in said intermediate chamber, liquid conducting tubes extending through said intermediate chamberin contact with the gas adsorbent therein, means for heat- :ing liquid for upward movement within said tubes to heatand drive oi! a gas from said adsorbent, a circulating tube connecting the 1nlet and outlet chambers at opposite ends of the shell into whichl said conducting tubes open, a

gas circulating tubeextending within said cham- .ber and past said gas adsorbentto receive the gas from said adsorbent, -and means for disposing of the gas` driven ori from said adsorbent.

9. A gas manipulating apparatus comprising a shell including a plurality or chambers. a gas adsorbent therein, tubes tor a heating medium extending through said chambers in contact withl the gas adsorbent therein and spaced to convey heat'A evenly to' all parts of said chambers, an endless liquid circulating passage including said tubes, a body o! liquid within said passage, said body initially having a space between'twoends thereof, means ior heating-a nuid within said tubes to transform a portion thereof into vaporv .and thereby to nll said space when the apparatus -isactive. and means for disposing of the gasl driven on from an adsorbent within said cham- `bers by the heating of uid within said tubes.

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